Synchronizing device



May 29, 1934.

G. A. Du |s SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 10, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1%2/6MZZ7? 626%72 7422666.

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May 29, 1934. A, Dws 1,960,773

SYNCHRONIZING DEVICE Filed Feb. 10-, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 14 22 orzzggs.

Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to the automatic regulation and variation in the speed of movement of mechanism operating upon a traveling bar or J column of material whose rate of travel is subject to variation, and it is illustrated as applied to a brick or tile-making machine in which the moving column of material is the clay bar which is fed from the machine, and the mechanism operating upon it is the cut-oif device which produces individual bricks or tiles from this bar. Since the cut-off device must operate transversely on a continuously moving mass,--the clay bar,it is mounted on a carriage which is driven to travel for a limited distance with the clay bar during 5. the cutting operation, and the object of this invention is to synchronize the movements of the bar and carriage so that a perfectly straight out may be made perpendicular to the direction of movement. The invention consists in certain features and elements of construction in combination as herein shown and described, and is indicated by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a portion of a brick-making machine with the extruded clay bar emerging from the die and the speedmeasuring roller engaging said bar.-

Figure 2 is a transverse and somewhat diagrammatic view, indicating the general structure of the cut-off mechanism.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, diagrammatic in it is forced by means of a feed screw which delivers the material through a die arranged to produce the desired cross-section, and from which it is extruded in a continuous column or bar of this cross-section. Individual tiles or bricks are then produced by cutting this bar into lengths, usually by means of cutter wires, which move transversely of the bar at regular intervals. In Figure 1 the chamber or hopper is indicated at 1, with a die at 2 through which the clay bar, 3, is being thus extruded, and from which it travels L on a supportingtable or belt, 4, for a sufficient distance to provide room for the cutting-01f operation. The clay bar travels as a unit for a considerable distance from the extruding die, and its speed of movement in the vicinity of the cutting wires will vary to some extent, depending upon the exact consistencyof the clay and the friction exerted to: oppose its movement by contact with the faces of the die. Frequently the die is lubricated to reduce this friction and regulate it. To secure a reasonably accurate measure of the speed at which the clay bar, 3, is traveling I mount a friction wheel, 5, in position to rotate in contact with a surface of the clay bar, preferably one of its sides.

As shown in Figure 4, the shaft, 6, of said friction wheel is preferably inclined so that a component of the weight of the wheel serves to press it into contact with the surface of the clay bar, 3; and, if desired, a spring, 6 may be arranged to supplement this pressure. Thus I insure that the peripheral speed of the wheel,

5, will be the sad e as the speed of travel of the clay column, 3. The shaft, 6, at its lower end carries a bevel gear, '7, which meshes with a bevel gear, 8, on a horizontal shaft, 9, con- 301 nected through a slip joint, 10, with another shaft, 11, in alignment with the shaft, 9, and" extending into a cylindrical housing, 12, which. hoods or shrouds a rheostat, 13, connected for controlling the speed of a drive motor, 14. 'The motor, 14, furnishes power for the travel of a table or platform, 15, which carriesthe cutter wires. This table is mounted to move on guide-- ways, 15 parallel to the direction of movement of the clay bar, 3, and the intention is that it shall travel at substantially the same speed as the clay bar to insure that a straight out across the bar shall be made by the wires. It maybe understood that the motor, 14, travels with the platform, 15, through its limited range of forward and reverse movement, and that suitable gearing,'not shown in detail, is provided, whereby the motor causes this movement of the plat form. -A shaft, 16, journaled on the'table, 15, carries a large sprocket, 1'7, to which power is transmitted by a chain, 18, from the drive. sprocket, 19, of the motor, 14. The table, 15, supports a transversely movable carriage, 20, upon which there are mounted frames, 21, extending laterally ofth'e clay bar 5 and spaced apart by transverse connecting bars; 22, above and below the clay bar. The cutter wires, 23, are stretched between these transverse bars, 22, at such intervals longitudinally of the clay bar. as may" beidesiredfor producing the 0 proper lengths of brick or tile to be severed by the wires. It may be understood that transverse movement of the carriage, 20, may be secured through suitable gearing driven from the shaft, 16, in properly timed relation with the forward and return movements of the table, 15,-such transverse cutting occurring only during the forward travel of the table, that is, the travel in the same direction as that in which the clay bar is moving. As indicated in Figure 2, however, the side frames, 21, 21, are pivotally connected to the cross members, 22, and each of said frames is provided with a handle, 21 by which it may be grasped and pushed laterally across the table, 15. In addition, by reason of the pivotal connection of the parts the frames may be swung to bring the cutter wires, 23, from the position indicated in full lines to that indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, thus producing a slight shearing efiect in making the cut through the plastic clay bar, 3. Since the table, 15, is moved in suitably timed relation with the clay bar for some little distance, the particular instant at which the transverse cut is made is not important, and this transverse movement may therefore be accomplished entirely by hand, if desired, instead of by gearing interconnected with the feed mechanism of the table, 15.-

Rotary motion proportional to the speed of the motor, 14, and to the speed of travel of the table, 15, is transmitted from shaft, 16, to aparallel shaft, 25, through a chain, 26, en-

gaging sprockets, 27 and 28, on said shafts re spectively, and the motion is further transmitted through a worm on the shaft, 25, to a worm gear, 29, driving a friction disk, 30. The friction pinion, 31, which contacts with the face of the disk is suitably splined on a shaft, 32, whose bevel pinion, 33, engages a large bevel gear, 34, secured to the cylindrical hood, 12. Within the hood, 12, the shaft, 11, is connected for rotating the radial contact arm, 35, of the rheostat, 13, while the contact points, 36, are mounted rigidly in the hood or housing, 12, so that they will turn as a unit with it. The hood or housing, 12, includes a shaft, 37, rotatably mounted in bearings, 38 and 39, to permit rotation of the hood, 12, and the base of the rheostat, 13, therein in response to the driving movement transmitted through the bevel gears, 33 and 34. The friction pinion, 31, may be adjusted by operation of the hand wheel, 40, to produce a speed ratio in the gear train leading from the shaft, 16, to the housing, 12, such that said housing and the rheostat base will be rotated by the power of the motor, 14, at exactly the speed at which the contact arm, 35, is rotated by the motion derived from the friction wheel, 5, rolling against, and in contact with, the clay bar, 3.

If desired, a step-up gear train may be interposed between the shaft, 11, and the arm, 35, and, as shown in Figure 4, this consists of a gear, 41,

' on the shaft, 11, driving a pinion, 42, journaled in a cross arm, 43, of the housing, 12. The pinion, 42, is rigidly connected through its short shaft with a larger gear, 44, driving a pinion, 45, which is connected rigidly with the arm, 35. If a two to one ratio is provided between the gears, 41

and 42, and the same ratio between gears, 44 and 45, the speed of the arm, 35, will be four times that of the shaft, 11. This permits the employment of a fairly large wheel, 5, having an adequate area of Contact With the clay bar surface to insure that it will rotate quite accurately in accordance with the speed of travel of the clay bar.

Now if the movement of the clay bar should vary from its normal speed, the temporary change in the speed of the shaft, 11, will shift the contact arm, 35, relatively to the contact blocks or buttons, 36, of the rheostat, thus altering the speed of the motor, 14, which the rheostat controls. If the clay bar moves faster than its normal rate of travel, the arm, 35, will be shifted in a direction to speed up the motor, 14, slightly so as to cause the table, 15, to travel proportionately faster, while if the speed of the clay bar is diminished, the arm, 35, will be shifted over the contacts, 36, in the opposite direction, tending to lower the speed of the motor, 14. The arm, 35, and the contacts, 36, are connected in circuit with the motor by means of collector rings, and 51, carried by the shaft, 3'7, and lead wires, 52 and 53, one of which may extend to the power line connection at 54, while the other enters the motor casing at 55, as seen in Figure 1. The other power line lead wire, 56, is also shown entering the motor casing.

Thus it will be seen that the two-part rheostat or speed controller associated with the motor, 14, is automatically adjusted by any difference between the speed of the clay bar, 3, and the speed of travel of the table, 15, so as to immediately correct this difference and maintain substantial equality as between these speeds. This insures that the transverse cuts made through the clay bar by the cutter wires, 23, will extend accurately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the clay bar.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate diagrammatically a type of cutter mechanism which consists of a wheel or ring, 60, having radially disposed cutter wires, 61, extending to a common central hub, 62, which, however, is merely a floating connector for the inner ends of the wires. The ring, 60, is journaled upon a series of rollers, 63, contacting with its outer periphery and mounted in the frame, 64, which is open at one side so that the drive pinion, 66, of a motor or suitable drive train may mesh with peripherally disposed teeth, 6'7, on

the ring, 60. The relative position of the clay bar,

is indicated at by a cross-sectional representation thereof in Figure 6 and by dotted outline in Figure 7. The cutter wires sweep downwardly through the plastic clay of the bar, 65, as the ring, 60, is rotated by the drive pinion, 66. In order to compensate for the continuous travel of the clay bar, 65, through the plane of the cutter wires, 61, the ring, 60, is mounted slightly oblique, as indicated in Figure 7,--the direction of movement of the clay bar being indicated by an arrow at 68. If the angle of obliquity and speed of the ring, 60, remain fixed, it will be evident that a slight change in the speed of travel of the clay bar, 65, will alter the relation between the clay bar travel and the movement of the cutter wire, so that the compensation afforded by the obliquity of the ring, 60, will not be correct. With this type of equipment my synchronizing mechanism will serve to correct such a condition. The friction wheel, 5, turning in contact with the clay bar, 65, may be arranged substantially in the same manner as indicated in Figure 4, to vary the speed of the motor (not shown) which drives the pinion, 66, and thus vary the speed of rotation of the ring, 60, and speed f movement of the cutter wires, 61,-s1owing down these speeds if the clay bar movement is retarded, and increasing said speeds when the clay bar moves. Thus the component of the oblique movement of the cutter wires which causes them to move in the direction of travel of'the clay bar at the same timethat they move through it, is kept substantially equal to the rate of travel of the clay bar itself, and in this way the cutting stroke may be caused tosever the clay barsubstantially at right angles to its'longitudinally extending surfaces. 7

In either type of equipment, if it is found desirable to produce a slight lag in the movement of the cutter wires with respect to the direction of travel of the clay bar, this can be arranged by adjusting the friction pinion, 31, across the face of the disk, 30, so as to slightly alter the ratio of movement as between the driving motor and the friction wheel, 5, permitting a slight inequality between the speed of the clay bar and that of the table, 15.

It will be understood that my invention is not confined to the application herein illustrated and described, but may be adaptable to various other uses, and that considerable modification may be made in the specific design of its various parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, I do not Wish to limit myself to the particular devices and arrangement of parts herein shown, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A construction for the purpose indicated comprising means arranged to support and propel a body on which work is to be performed; inde-- pendently actuated means for performing the work on such body arranged for performing the.

same while the body is being propelled; means supporting the work-performing means in workperforming relation to the propelled body and moving said work-performing means in the direc- L tion of propulsion of the body, and means for controlling the rate of movement of the workperforming means according to the rate of movement of the propelled body.

2. An apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising means arranged to continuously propel a body on which work is to be performed; independently actuated means for periormmg the work on such body; means supporting the work-performing means in work-performing relation to the propelled body movable in the direction of propulsion of said body; motor means independent of the means of propulsion of the body connected for moving the work-performing means in the direction of said propulsion; and

speed-responsive means arranged to derive movement from the propelled body and operatively associated with said motor means for regulating the motor speed in accordance with the rate of movement of the propelled body.

3. An apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising means for propelling a body upon which work is to be performed; operating means for performing work on said body arranged for its performance while the body is moving under said propulsion, said operating means being mounted for movement along the path of movement of the propelled body; a motor and connections for moving said operating means; a speed-governing device for said motor, and means engageable with the propelled body for movement thereby for adjusting the speed-governing device to govern the speed of the motor in accordance with the rate of movement of the propelled body.

4. An apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising means for propelling a body upon which work is to be performed; meansfor performing work on said body arranged for said performance while the body is moving under such propulsion; said work-performing means being mounted for movement along the path of movement of the propelled body; an electric motor and connections for so moving said work-performing means; a variable resistance controller connected in the motor-energizing circuit for regulating the speed of the motor, and means arranged to be engageable with the propelled body for deriving movement therefrom for adjusting said controller to vary the speed of the motor in accordance with the rate of movement of the propelled body.

5. The construction defined in claim 3, the means engageable with the propelled body being a roller adapted to be frictionally driven by contact with the surface of the propelled body, and a support carrying said roller mounted for yieldingly engaging the roller with said body.

6. The construction defined in claim 3, the motor-speed-governing device comprising two relatively movable parts, one of said parts being connected for movement by the means engageable with the propelled body and the other being connected for movement by the work-propelling means, said controller being arranged for changing the speed of the motor by relative movement of said two parts.

7. The construction defined in claim 3, the motor-speed-governing device comprising two relatively movable parts, one of said parts being connected for movement by the means engageable with the propelled body and the other being connected for movement by the work-propelling means, said controller being arranged for changing the speed of the motor by relative movement of said two parts, said two parts being co-axially rotatable with respect to each other and being each mounted for continuous rotation, whereby difference between the rates of rotation of said parts produces relative rotative adjustment of one with respect to the other for varying the motor speed.

8. An apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising means for extruding and propelling in the direction of its extrusion a bar of plastic material; cutter mechanism for severing said material by movement transversely of the direction of the extruding movement while such movement is continuing, said cutter mechanism being mounted for movement bodily in the direction of the movement of the bar; means arranged to be engaged by the bar and moved thereby at a speed corresponding to that of the bar, said means being operatively connected for moving the cutter mechanism bodily in the direction of the movement of the bar, said connections being arranged to operate for said bodily movement during the cutting stroke of the cutter mechanism.

9. An apparatus for the purpose indicated comprising means for extruding and propelling continuously at varying speed a bar of plastic material, cutter mechanism for severing said material into lengths by movement transversely of said bar, a carriage for said cutter mechanism, and a motor for driving the carriage in the direction of movement of the bar during such cutting operation, together with means for synchronizing the travel of the carriage with the travel of the bar comprising a two-part controller for the motor, and connections for driving both parts continuously at substantially equal speeds, one of said connections being operated by the motion material, cutter mechanism for severing said material into lengths, means for causing movement of the cutting device simultaneously in two directions, namely, in the direction of travel of the bar and transversely thereof, and means for varying the transverse component of said cutter movement in accordance with any variation in the speed of movement of said bar.

GLENN A. DUIS. 

